Bedford’s road bond: A good deal for a big fix

March 09. 2014 4:09PMAnyone who has driven on Bedford Center Road in the past year can see just how awful some of Bedford’s roads have become. The need for a new road bond is obvious. The town’s proposed $30 million bond is a responsible way to pay for the repaving of a fifth of Bedford’s roads, which is the percentage this bond would cover.

Some of Bedford’s roads have not been repaved in 20 years. It shows. With new blacktop covering major thoroughfares such as New Boston Road, Joppa Hill Road and North Amherst Road, some residents might not see the need for this bond. But many smaller roads are in very bad shape. If this bond fails, they will only get worse, and the cost of fixing them will only rise. Interest rates are rising and are not likely to get lower soon.

The town has structured this road repair to minimize the tax impact. The bond payments take effect just as previous bonds are being paid off. “During this time, other debt will be paid off that offsets the tax rate impact of the road bond,” Finance Director Crystal Dionne said.

The town should not delay this needed road repair any longer. For $30 million, Bedford gets to repair 20 percent of the town’s roads. That is a good deal. Voters should take it.